A reciprocating saw typically has a support shoe that permits the operator to position the saw relative to a workpiece. To facilitate operation of the saw and to position the blade of the saw accurately, the support shoe should be adjustable and lockable under different cutting conditions.
Many different locking units for support shoe of reciprocating saws have been disclosed in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,172 discloses a locking structure using a cam. To fixedly lock the support shoe, a relatively large force is needed to be exerted on the cam.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,091 discloses a locking unit using a tapered pin to lock the support shoe. However, because the support shoe is locked by the pin under biasing of a spring, the support shoe is not steady enough in the biasing direction.
Another locking mechanism for a support shoe is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 20060090348A1. The support shoe is locked by a pin which includes two slots with different respective depths. With such a structure, when mounted the support shoe is not stable enough during operation. Further, the locking mechanism is very complex. Also, it is very inconvenient that operation of adjusting and locking must be processed from underside of the housing.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a simple adjusting and locking mechanism for a support shoe of a reciprocating saw that is stable during operation yet easy to access and adjust.